Terminal, wire with terminal, and wire harness

Abstract

To crimp a flat wire to a terminal.SOLUTION: A terminal that can be connected to a flat electric wire that has a conductor portion and an insulating coating that covers the conductor portion includes a wire arrangement surface on which electric wires are placed and a holding portion that holds the electric wires, and at least one of the wire arrangement surface and the holding portion includes a convex portion that is press-fitted into the insulating coating and does not come into contact with the conductor portion. The holding portion is configured to surround and hold the insulating coating of the electric wire, and is configured such that the length from the mounting surface on which the convex portion is provided is less than the thickness of the insulating coating. A plurality of convex portions is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal, a wire with a terminal, and a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, round wires have been used as the coated wires of wire harnesses used in vehicles such as automobiles. Therefore, in existing crimp terminals and welding terminals, crimp terminals having a circular cross-section that can be crimped to a round wire are used.

[0003] In vehicles, electrification represented by electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and multi-functionality or high functionality represented by autonomous driving systems and connected cars are rapidly progressing. In addition, since the wire diameter is increasing and the mounting space is being reduced, a strip-shaped flat wire in which a plurality of strands are arranged in parallel may be used as the wire harness used in vehicles. In a flat wire, a terminal wire is manufactured by exposing a core wire composed of a plurality of strands at one end thereof and electrically connecting the crimp terminal and the flat wire by crimping or welding the crimp terminal.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wire with a terminal in which a conductor exposed portion at the terminal portion of a flat wire, which is a flat coated wire, is crimped and joined to a terminal by a wire barrel, and a coated tip portion is crimped and joined to the terminal by an insulation barrel. Patent Document 2 also discloses a wire with a terminal in which the caulking of the conductor exposed portion by the wire barrel piece can be surely performed by making the interval between the wire barrel pieces longer than the width dimension of the conductor exposed portion of the flat wire, and the caulking of the insulation covering portion by the insulation barrel piece can be surely performed by making the interval between the insulation barrel pieces longer than the width dimension of the insulation covering portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In various applications including the above - mentioned wire harness for vehicles, in the case of a wire with a terminal that can conduct a large current, a flat wire may be used as the covered wire. However, in the above - mentioned conventional technology, since the flat - shaped covered wire does not fit within the width of the insulation barrel of the existing crimp terminal, it has been difficult to divert the existing crimp terminal for round wires. Therefore, there has been a demand for a new terminal capable of crimping a flat wire, a wire with a terminal crimp - connected to the new terminal, and a wire harness including the wire with a terminal.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a terminal capable of crimping a flat wire to the terminal, a wire with a terminal, and a wire harness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above - mentioned problems and achieve the above - mentioned object, the terminal according to the present invention is a terminal capable of connecting a flat - shaped wire having a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, and has a wire placement surface for placing the wire and a holding portion for holding the wire. At least one of the wire placement surface and the holding portion has a convex portion that can be press - fitted into the insulating coating and does not contact the conductor portion.

[0009] The terminal according to one aspect of the present invention is, in the above - mentioned invention, characterized in that the holding portion is configured to be able to surround and hold the insulating coating of the wire, and the length from the installation surface provided with the convex portion is configured to be less than the thickness of the insulating coating.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, a plurality of the convex portions are provided.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, the convex portion is in the shape of a bell, a triangular prism, a needle, a cone, a tree, or a pyramid.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, the side of the convex portion that is press-fitted into the insulating coating is formed to be sharp.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, the holding portion is composed of a plurality of barrel-shaped pieces, and the plurality of barrel-shaped pieces have a shape that does not interfere with each other during crimping.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, the holding portion is configured such that a second opening width on the rear end side of the electric wire is smaller than a first opening width on the front end side of the electric wire.

[0015] The electric wire with a terminal according to one aspect of the present invention includes a flat electric wire having a conductor portion and an insulating coating that covers the conductor portion, and a terminal according to the above invention to which the conductor portion is crimp-connected.

[0016] In one aspect of the present invention, the electric wire with a terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, the tip portion of the conductor portion protrudes outside from the tip portion of the insulating coating.

[0017] In one aspect of the present invention, the electric wire with a terminal is characterized in that, in the above invention, at the connection portion of the insulating coating with the terminal, the coating thickness of the insulating coating is reduced on the rear end side compared to the front end side of the electric wire.

[0018] The wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one wire with a terminal according to the above invention, or the wire with a terminal is combined with at least one other wire to form the wire harness.

Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the terminal, the wire with a terminal, and the wire harness of the present invention, it becomes possible to crimp a flat wire to the terminal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 8C

Figure 8D

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0022] (First Embodiment) (Terminal and Covered Electric Wire) Before explaining the crimp terminal 20 and the electric wire with terminal 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. 1, the schematic configuration of the terminal and the covered electric wire will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the flat covered electric wire 10 has a conductor 11 and an insulating cover 12.

[0023] The conductor 11 is a conductor parallel type flat conductor portion in which a plurality of strands 111 extending in the longitudinal direction X are arranged side by side, and each strand 111 is arranged in parallel in one layer or a plurality of layers, here for example two layers. The strand 111 is composed of, for example, an uncoated single-core wire. Note that the dimensions of the covered electric wire 10 are appropriately set according to the required current value.

[0024] The insulating cover 12 is an insulating covering portion formed on the outer periphery of the flat conductor 11. At the tip of the flat covered electric wire 10, the tip of the insulating cover 12 is peeled off and removed, and a part of the tip of the conductor 11 is exposed as a conductor exposed portion. In the following description, the covered electric wire 10 has the front side as the terminal crimping side which is the tip side in the longitudinal direction X, and the rear side as the non-crimping side which is the base end side.

[0025] The conductor 11 is composed of a plurality of strands 111 and is made of, for example, high-purity aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy (Al alloy), but is not necessarily limited to these materials. In this embodiment, the covered electric wire 10 has a cross-sectional area of, for example, 3.5 mm 2 (3.5 sq) or more and 90 mm 2 (90 sq) or less, for example, a 20 sq electric wire. The cross-sectional area of the covered electric wire 10 is the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the respective strands 111, that is, the total cross-sectional area. The insulating cover 12 is made of a resin having insulating properties such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, or a non-halogen material. Additives such as plasticizers may be added to the resin constituting the insulating cover 12.

[0026] Before the crimp connection according to the first embodiment, the crimp terminal 20 is an open barrel type terminal. The crimp terminal 20 is formed by processing a plate material made of a copper alloy such as brass having a tin plating (Sn plating) treatment on its surface. The crimp terminal 20 has a terminal portion 21, a transition portion 22, and a barrel 23 that are sequentially connected from the front in the longitudinal direction X on the tip side toward the rear on the base end side. The coated crimp portion is a portion where the conductor 11 coated with the insulating coating 12 is clamped by the barrel 23 and crimp-connected, and the barrel 23 functions as an insulation barrel.

[0027] The terminal portion 21 can adopt various terminal connection portions other than the round terminal as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, for example, the terminal portion 21 may be a terminal connection portion having a connection structure of a female crimp terminal or a connection structure of a sleeve-shaped terminal (hereinafter, sleeve terminal). Further, the connection structure is not limited to these, and other shaped connection structures such as a male crimp terminal or a Y-shaped crimp terminal may be used. The transition portion 22 is a portion that connects the terminal portion 21 and the barrel 23.

[0028] The barrel 23 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section in the YZ plane that opens upward in the height direction Z and has a bottom portion located downward, and extends in the longitudinal direction X. In the present embodiment, the barrel 23 has a substantially U-shaped one, but a V-shaped one or the like can also be used. The barrel 23 is configured to have barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 as holding portions where the plate material is bent upward in the height direction Z in a substantially U shape. In the present embodiment, the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 are composed of two parts, but the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 can also be composed of three or more parts as long as they do not interfere with each other during crimping. In this specification, the upper side and the lower side in the height direction Z are arbitrarily specified in terms of direction for explaining the relative positional relationship between the components.

[0029] In the barrel 23, the bent barrel components 231 and 232 each have a stepped shape with alternating shapes along the XZ plane. Thus, when crimping the covered wire 10 to the crimp terminal 20, even if the covered wire 10 is pressed against and wrapped by the barrel components 231 and 232, crimping can be performed so that the barrel components 231 and 232 do not interfere with each other.

[0030] At least one, and in FIG. 1, a plurality of protrusions 23a as protrusions are provided on the bottom 233 of the barrel 23. In the present embodiment, the protrusion 23a has a shape in which the rectangular side surface of the triangular prism contacts the bottom 233 as the installation surface, and the corner formed by the rectangular side surface faces upward. The triangular prism-shaped protrusions 23a are provided in a matrix at positions spaced apart from each other on the upper surface of the bottom 233. These protrusions 23a are configured to be able to bite in while preventing the protrusions 23a from penetrating the insulating coating 12 to the conductor 11 when the covered wire 10 is crimped. As a result, the insulating coating 12 is fixed to the crimp terminal 20 by crimping with the protrusions 23a biting into the barrel 23. That is, the height of the protrusion 23a from the bottom 233 is less than the thickness of the insulating coating 12 of the covered wire 10 after crimping. In other words, the protrusion 23a is composed of protrusions having a height that does not penetrate the insulating coating 12 of the covered wire 10 to the conductor 11. Further, the conductor 11 has its tip exposed by removing a part of the insulating coating 12 on the tip side of the covered wire 10. The exposed tip is electrically connected to the crimp terminal 20, for example, by a conventionally known welding method.

[0031] By providing the protrusions 23a so as not to penetrate to the conductor 11 among the plurality of protrusions 23a, it is possible to increase the pulling strength of the covered wire 10 from the crimp terminal 20. Also, the arrangement of the protrusions 23a may be a regular arrangement or an irregular arrangement, and the method of arrangement is not limited. Furthermore, the number of protrusions 23a may be one or more, and is not particularly limited.

[0032] (Method for manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal) Next, a method for manufacturing a wire with a terminal for connecting the coated wire 10 to the crimp terminal 20 configured as described above will be described. FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views for explaining the method for manufacturing the crimp terminal and the coated wire according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2B is a front view of the crimp terminal and the coated wire according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2A as viewed from the front in the longitudinal direction X. FIG. 2C is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the crimp terminal and the coated wire according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the coated wire 10 and the crimp terminal 20 are overlapped so that the tip of the coated wire 10 is accommodated in the bottom 233 as the wire arrangement surface in the barrel 23. Thereby, a part of the upper end in contact with the protrusion 23a bites into the coated wire 10. Before overlapping the coated wire 10 and the crimp terminal 20, a part of the surface of the insulating coating 12 on the outer periphery of the conductor 11 at the tip or in the vicinity of the tip of the coated wire 10 may be removed to form a thin portion where the coating thickness is reduced to be smaller than the coating thickness of other parts of the insulating coating 12.

[0034] Next, a crimping process is performed in which pressure is applied to the outer periphery of the crimp terminal 20 to crimp-connect the crimp terminal 20 to the insulating coating 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2C, the barrel 23 of the crimp terminal 20 is crimped and the plurality of barrel component pieces 231 and 232 are bent so as to surround the periphery of the insulating coating 12 and are crimp-connected. Further, the protrusion 23a bites further while maintaining a non-contact state with respect to the conductor 11 to such an extent that it does not penetrate to the conductor 11 with respect to the insulating coating 12. Here, it is also preferable to apply a lubricant to the surface of the protrusion 23a before performing the crimp connection. Thereby, since the protrusion 23a easily bites into the insulating coating 12, the connection stability between the protrusion 23a and the insulating coating 12 can be improved. Further, since the barrel component pieces 231 and 232 are alternately formed in a stepped manner, in the crimping process, the insulating coating 12 of the coated wire 10 can be crimped without the barrel component pieces 231 and 232 interfering with each other. As described above, the wire 1 with a terminal is completed.

[0035] (Method for forming the crimp terminal) Next, a method for forming the crimp terminal 20 will be described. FIG. 3A shows a plate material 200 for forming the crimp terminal 20. FIG. 3B is a front view of the crimp terminal 20 and the covered electric wire 10 for explaining the method for forming the crimp terminal 20 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3C is a front view of the crimp terminal 20A and the covered electric wire 10A for explaining the method for forming the crimp terminal 20A according to the first modification of the first embodiment.

[0036] First, for example, the plate material 200 is formed by punching a Cu alloy plate into a predetermined shape and subjecting the surface to Sn plating. Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, after or during the manufacture of the plate material 200, at least one protrusion 23a is formed on the upper surface 230 of the plate material 200 at a portion that will become the bottom 233 of the barrel 23 of the crimp terminal 20.

[0037] Regarding the method for forming the protrusion 23a formed on the upper surface of the plate material 200, various methods can be adopted. Specifically, for example, after separately forming the conductive protrusion 23a, the protrusion 23a can be fixed to the upper surface 230 by brazing or welding, so that the protrusion 23a can be formed on the upper surface of the portion that will become the bottom 233. Further, for example, the upper surface 230 of the plate material 200 may be pressed by a protruding mold from the lower side in the height direction (Z direction), that is, from the lower surface 230a with respect to the upper surface 230. Thereby, the plate material 200 can be deformed toward the upper surface 230 side, and the protrusion 23a can be protruded on the upper surface 230. Furthermore, for example, when manufacturing the plate material 200, the plate material 200 and the protrusion 23a may be integrally formed using a mold having a predetermined shape having a portion corresponding to the protrusion 23a.

[0038] Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, both side portions of the coated wire 10 on both sides of the plate material 200 are bent so as to correspond to the width w1 of the coated wire 10. In this case, it is preferable to bend symmetrically with respect to the width direction Y. As a result, a crimp terminal 20 is formed in which the cross section of the barrel 23 in the YZ plane has a bottom portion 233 provided with a protrusion 23a on the lower side while opening upward in the height direction Z. Note that it is preferable that the formation region where the protrusion 23a is formed is a region covered by the coated wire 10, but it is not necessarily limited thereto. In the barrel 23 of this crimp terminal 20, the coated wire 10 having a width w1 can be overlapped without bending in the width direction.

[0039] (First Modified Example) As shown in FIG. 3C, even when the width w2 of the coated wire 10A is larger than the width w1 of the coated wire 10, both side portions of the coated wire 10 on both sides of the plate material 200 can be bent so as to correspond to the width w2 of the coated wire 10A. Also in this case, it is preferable to bend symmetrically with respect to the width direction Y. Since the protrusion 23a is provided at the center of the barrel 23, even when the width w2 becomes large as in the case of the flat coated wire 10A, it is possible to manufacture a wire with a terminal 1A by crimping the coated wire 10A to a crimp terminal 20A formed from the same plate material 200 as the crimp terminal 20. By adjusting the bent portion of the plate material 200 to the width of the coated wire 10A, even when the width w2 is large as in the case of the coated wire 10A, the width of the bottom portion 233 of the crimp terminal 20 can be adjusted in the same manner. Also, even when the width w2 of the coated wire 10A is smaller than the width w1 of the coated wire 10, the same applies. As a result, a crimp terminal 20A is formed in which the cross section of the barrel 23 in the YZ plane has a bottom portion 233 provided with a protrusion 23a on the lower side while opening upward in the height direction Z. In the barrel 23 of this crimp terminal 20A, the coated wire 10 having a width w2 can be overlapped without bending in the width direction.

[0040] (Modification Example of Protrusion) In the first embodiment described above, the protruding portions 23a formed on the bottom portions 233 of the crimp terminals 20 and 20A are not limited to a shape in which the rectangular side surfaces of the triangular prism are in contact with the bottom portion 233 and the corners formed by the rectangular side surfaces face upward. Hereinafter, a modified example of the protruding portion 23a according to the first embodiment will be described. FIGS. 4 and 5 are front views of the crimp terminal and the coated electric wire according to the second modified example and the third modified example of the first embodiment, respectively.

[0041] (Second Modified Example) As shown in FIG. 4, in the crimp terminal 20B according to the second modified example, the protruding portion 23a is provided on the bottom portion 233 of the barrel 23, and the protruding portion 23b as a convex portion facing inward is provided on the inner side surfaces 234 of the barrel constituting pieces 231 and 232. The shape of the protruding portion 23b may be the same as the shape of the protruding portion 23a or may be a different shape. Note that a configuration in which the protruding portion 23a is not provided on the bottom portion 233 may also be used. In this case, when the coated electric wire 10 is overlapped with the crimp terminal 20B and the barrel 23 is crimped so that the barrel constituting pieces 231 and 232 wrap around the periphery of the insulating coating 12, the protruding portion 23b bites into the insulating coating 12 to such an extent that it does not penetrate to the conductor 11.

[0042] By the protruding portion 23b biting into the insulating coating 12 to such an extent that it does not contact the conductor 11, the connection strength due to the crimping of the coated electric wire 10 and the crimp terminal 20 can be improved as compared with the case where only the protruding portion 23a is provided on the bottom portion 233. Further, it is also preferable to apply a lubricant to the surface of the protruding portion 23b in order to make it easier for the protruding portion 23b to bite into the insulating coating 12 before performing the crimp connection. The coated electric wire 10 is crimped to the crimp terminal 20B, and the electric wire 1B with a terminal is completed.

[0043] (Third Modified Example) As shown in FIG. 5, in the crimp terminal 20C according to the third modification, the shape of the protrusion 23c on the bottom 233 of the barrel 23 is a tree shape. In this case, when the coated electric wire 10 is overlaid on the crimp terminal 20C, the upper part of the tree-shaped protrusion 23c is turned back, so that the coated electric wire 10 can be firmly fixed to the bottom 233 of the crimp terminal 20C. Thereby, the possibility that the coated electric wire 10 comes off from the crimp terminal 20C can be reduced. Also, before performing the crimping process in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is also preferable to apply a lubricant to the surface of the protrusion 23c so that the protrusion 23c easily bites into the insulating coating 12. When the coated electric wire 10 is crimped to the crimp terminal 20C, the electric wire 1C with terminals is completed.

[0044] (Modification of the barrel) Also, in the first embodiment described above, the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 in the barrel 23 are not limited to having an alternating stepped shape in the shape along the XZ plane. Hereinafter, a modification of the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the crimp terminal according to the fourth modification and the fifth modification of the first embodiment, respectively.

[0045] (Fourth modification) As shown in FIG. 5, in the crimp terminal 20D according to the fourth modification, the shapes of the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 along the XZ plane are rectangular. Also in this case, when placing and crimping the coated electric wire 10 on the bottom 233 of the crimp terminal 20D, the insulating coating 12 of the coated electric wire 10 can be surrounded by the barrel constituent pieces 231 and 232 and the bottom 233. Thereby, the coated electric wire 10 can be firmly fixed to the crimp terminal 20C, and the possibility that the coated electric wire 10 comes off from the crimp terminal 20C can be reduced. Also, before performing the crimping process in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is also preferable to apply a lubricant to the surface of the protrusion 23a so that the protrusion 23a easily bites into the insulating coating 12.

[0046] (Fifth modification) As shown in Fig. 6, the crimp terminal 20E according to the fifth modification example is a modification example that combines the second modification example and the fourth modification example. That is, the barrel component pieces 231 and 232 each have a rectangular shape along the XZ plane, and on the inner surface 234 of the barrel component pieces 231 and 232, a protruding portion 23b as a convex portion facing inward is provided. The shape of the protruding portion 23b may be the same as the shape of the protruding portion 23a or may be a different shape. Note that the configuration may be such that the protruding portion 23a is not provided on the bottom portion 233. In this case, when the covered electric wire 10 is superposed on the crimp terminal 20B and the barrel 23 is crimped so that the barrel component pieces 231 and 232 surround the periphery of the insulating coating 12, the protruding portion 23b bites into the insulating coating 12 to such an extent that it does not penetrate to the conductor 11. By the protruding portion 23b biting into the insulating coating 12 to such an extent that it does not penetrate to the conductor 11, the connection strength due to the crimping of the covered electric wire 10 and the crimp terminal 20 can be improved as compared with the case where only the protruding portion 23a is provided on the bottom portion 233.

[0047] The shapes or arrangements of the protruding portions 23a, 23b, and 23c in the crimp terminals 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, and 20E according to the first embodiment described above can be appropriately combined and are not limited to the shapes and arrangements described above. Further, as the shapes of the protruding portions 23a to 23c, they may be provided on the side opposite to the portion where the apex portion is fixed, and at the time of crimping, the apex portion penetrates only into the insulating coating 12 without reaching the conductor 11 and is press-fitted, and may be a bell shape, a needle shape, a conical shape, a tree shape, or a polygonal pyramid shape such as a triangular pyramid or a quadrangular pyramid. Further, the cases where the protruding portions 23a and 23b are not sharp are also included.

[0048] Conventionally, in the flat-shaped covered wire 10, it could not fit within the width of the barrel 24 of the existing crimp terminal, and the existing crimp terminal could not be diverted for use. In contrast, according to the first embodiment described above, since the flat-shaped covered wires 10 and 10A can be connected to the crimp terminals 20 to 20C, when the wire diameter becomes thicker due to the electrification of automobiles, etc., and a flat-shaped wire is used to save mounting space, the processing steps of rounding the wire can be reduced. Further, since the plate material 200 can be bent according to the widths w1 and w2 of the covered wires 10 and 10A to form the crimp terminals 20 to 20E, the covered wires 10 and 10A can be crimped to the crimp terminals 20 to 20E. Also, since crimping can be performed by pressing, it becomes possible to use existing crimping equipment.

[0049] Further, in the prior art, it was difficult to crimp a crimp terminal used for a circular wire to a flat-shaped stranded wire. That is, when a terminal used for a circular wire is crimped to a flat-shaped wire, a gap is generated between the insulation barrel portion of the terminal and the flat-shaped wire. Therefore, compared with a conventional wire having a circular cross-section, in the case of a flat-shaped wire, due to the release of the resin strain during extrusion after crimping, the problem of insulation coating slippage is likely to occur. In contrast, in the crimp terminal 20 according to the first embodiment described above, by providing at least one protrusion having a length less than the coating thickness on the barrel 23 which is the insulation barrel portion, the displacement of the coating is suppressed by the protrusion portion 23a remaining within the insulation coating 12. Also, by providing protrusion portions 23a and 23b on the bottom portion 233 and the inner side surface 234 of the barrel 23 while changing the shape of the terminal for use with the flat-shaped covered wire 10, the fixing force between the flat-shaped covered wire 10 and the crimp terminal 20 can be improved, and the lowering of the coating over time can be suppressed.

[0050] (Second Embodiment) Next, a wire with a crimp terminal according to the second embodiment will be described. FIGS. 8A and 8B are a top view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a schematic configuration of the crimp terminal and the coated wire in the wire with a terminal according to the second embodiment. FIGS. 8C and 8D are a top view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a schematic configuration of the crimp terminal in the wire with a terminal according to the second embodiment.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the flat coated wire 10B according to the second embodiment has a conductor 11 and an insulating coating 12. The flat coated wire 10B has a conductor exposed portion where the insulating coating 12 on the outer periphery of the conductor 11 is peeled off and removed at the tip portion, and a bare wire 111 of a predetermined length is exposed. Note that a part of the surface of the insulating coating 12 on the outer periphery of the conductor 11 at or near the tip portion of the coated wire 10B may be removed to form a thin portion or a partial conductor exposed portion where the coating thickness is smaller than the coating thickness of other portions of the insulating coating 12. Also, a part of the insulating coating 12 at or near the tip portion of the coated wire 10B may be removed along the circumferential direction to form a portion where the circumferentially along coating portion is smaller than other portions of the insulating coating 12.

[0052] The crimp terminal 20F before crimp connection according to the second embodiment is a terminal of an open barrel type. The barrel 23, which is the crimping portion of the crimp terminal 20F, functions as a wire barrel. The insulating coating 12 for the conductor exposed portion is crimp-connected by the barrel 23 to constitute the wire 1D with a terminal.

[0053] In the wire 1D with terminals according to the second embodiment, the barrel 23 as the holding portion is configured such that the width d2 on the rear end side as the second opening width is smaller than the width d1 on the front end side as the first opening width on the front end side of the covered wire 10B (d1 > d2). In the example shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the inner surface 234 of the barrel 23 is configured in a tapered shape such that the width is reduced from the front end side to the rear end side of the covered wire 10B. Note that it is not necessarily limited to the tapered shape, and as long as the width is reduced as a whole from the front end side to the rear end side of the covered wire 10B, it may be in a stepped shape or a sawtooth shape, and the shape of the inner surface 234 is not limited. Thereby, the fixing force between the flat-shaped covered wire 10B and the crimp terminal 20F can be improved, and even if a pulling force that causes the covered wire 10B to be pulled out from the crimp terminal 20F acts from the front end side to the rear end side of the covered wire 10B, the reduction in diameter of the inner surface can suppress the dropping off.

[0054] Also, as shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, at least one, preferably a plurality of protrusions 23a are provided on the bottom 233 of the barrel 23. The protrusions 23a are provided in a matrix at positions spaced apart from each other on the upper surface of the bottom 233. The protrusions 23a may be adjacent to each other. In the crimp terminal 20F according to the second embodiment, the number of the protrusions 23a is larger and the installation density is higher than that of the crimp terminal 20 according to the first embodiment. Note that the number of the protrusions 23a may be made smaller than that of the crimp terminal 20 according to the first embodiment so that the installation density is lower.

[0055] Also in the second embodiment, it is possible to adopt the crimp terminals 20A to 20C according to the first to third modification examples described above and configure the inner side surface of the barrel 23 to have a reduced diameter from the front end side to the rear end side.

[0056] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0057] Next, a further modification of the above-described embodiment will be described. FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are front views showing crimp terminals according to the sixth modification, the seventh modification, the eighth modification, and the ninth modification, respectively.

[0058] (Sixth Modification) As shown in FIG. 9, in the crimp terminal 20G according to the sixth modification, the heights of the respective protrusions 23d and 23e provided on the bottom portion 233 of the barrel 23 are not constant with respect to each other. That is, relatively high protrusions 23d and relatively low protrusions 23e are provided in a mixed manner. In FIG. 9, two heights of the high protrusions 23d and the low protrusions 23e are drawn, but the heights may be different for each of the protrusions 23d and 23e and are not limited. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0059] (Seventh Modification) As shown in FIG. 10, in the crimp terminal 20H according to the seventh modification, the respective protrusions 23f provided on the bottom portion 233 of the barrel 23 have uniform heights and are regularly arranged. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0060] (Eighth Modification) As shown in FIG. 11, in the crimp terminal 20I according to the eighth modification, the respective protrusions 23f provided on the bottom portion 233 of the barrel 23 have uniform heights while being irregularly arranged. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0061] (Ninth Modification) As shown in FIG. 12, in the crimp terminal 20J according to the ninth modification, the respective protrusions 23g provided on the bottom portion 233 of the barrel 23 have uniform heights, while the shape of the tip of the upper portion of the protrusion 23g is not sharp and has a non-sharp shape such as a dot shape or a bell shape. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0062] In the above-described sixth to ninth modified examples, it is also possible to selectively combine the modified examples. For example, it is also possible to have a protruding portion 23g with a non-sharp tip as in the ninth modified example and arrange it irregularly as in the eighth modified example. Further, for example, it is also possible to make the shape of the upper part of the tips of the protruding portions 23d and 23e, whose respective heights are not uniform as in the sixth modified example, into a non-sharp shape as in the ninth modified example. Furthermore, for example, it is also possible to arrange the protruding portions 23d and 23e, whose respective heights are not uniform as in the sixth modified example, irregularly as in the eighth modified example.

[0063] Even in the sixth to ninth modified examples described above, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0064] (Wire harness) FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which an electric wire with a terminal according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention is used as a wire harness in a vehicle.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 13, the wire harness is configured by at least one of the electric wires 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D with terminals, or the electric wires 1 to 1D with terminals are combined with at least one other electric wire. In other words, the wire harness is configured by the electric wires 1 to 1D with terminals according to the above-described embodiments, alone or in plurality, or alone or in plurality combined with other electric wires or the like. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the electric wires 1 to 1D with terminals are assembled alone to the vehicle 30 as a wire harness. The wire harness is preferably configured to be assemblable to the vehicle 30. Note that the above-described coated electric wires 10 to 10B may be used for applications other than in-vehicle wire harnesses.

[0066] The above-described electric wires 1 to 1D with terminals and the coated electric wires 10 to 10B are flexible and have high handleability and heat dissipation during routing. Therefore, the wire harness is used in various parts of a vehicle 30 such as an automobile, and is routed in a state where appropriate bending and twisting (including repeated bending and twisting) are formed according to the complex shape of the vehicle 30, and the respective crimp terminals 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20C, 20E are connected to a predetermined terminal block, ECU, battery device, or the like.

[0067] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible. Those configured by appropriately combining the above-described components are also included in the present invention. Further effects and modification examples can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, a broader aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes are possible. For example, the numerical values and materials cited in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and different numerical values and materials may be used as necessary. The present invention is not limited by the description and drawings that form a part of the disclosure of the present invention according to this embodiment.

[0068] The above-described first and second embodiments, and the first to ninth modification examples can be combined with each other, and these combinations are also examples included in the present invention. That is, not only the coated electric wires 10 to 10B and the crimp terminals 20 to 20J are combined, but also electric wires with terminals formed by a coated electric wire selectively including each feature of the coated electric wires 10 to 10B and a crimp terminal selectively having each feature of the crimp terminals 20 to 20J are examples included in the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0069] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D Electric wires with terminals 10, 10A, 10B Coated electric wires 11 Conductor 12 Insulating coating 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H, 20I, 20J Crimp terminals 21 Terminal part 22 Transition part 23 Barrel 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 23g Protrusion 24 Barrel 30 Vehicle 111 Strand 200 Sheet material 230 Upper surface 230a Lower surface 231, 232 Barrel components 233 Bottom 234 Inner surface

Claims

1. A terminal capable of connecting a flat wire having a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, having a wire placement surface for placing the wire and a holding portion for holding the wire, wherein at least one of the wire placement surface and the holding portion has a convex portion that can be press-fitted into the insulating coating and does not contact the conductor portion, wherein the holding portion is configured in a tapered shape from the front end to the rear end such that a second opening width on the rear end side of the wire is smaller than a first opening width on the front end side of the wire. A terminal characterized by the above.

2. The holding portion is configured to be able to surround and hold the insulating coating of the wire, wherein a length of the convex portion from an installation surface on which the convex portion is provided is configured to be less than a thickness of the insulating coating. The terminal according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. A plurality of the convex portions are provided. The terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The convex portion is in a bell shape, a triangular prism shape, a needle shape, a conical shape, a tree shape, or a polygonal pyramid shape. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. A side of the convex portion to be press-fitted into the insulating coating is formed sharply. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

6. The holding portion is composed of a plurality of barrel-shaped pieces, and the plurality of barrel-shaped pieces have a shape that does not interfere with each other during crimping. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the above.

7. A flat wire having a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, and a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, to which the conductor portion is welded. A wire with a terminal, characterized by the above.

8. A flat wire having a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, and a tip portion of the conductor portion protruding to the outside from a tip portion of the insulating coating, and a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a tip portion of the conductor portion connected by welding is electrically connected to the terminal at a position different from the holding portion. A wire with a terminal, characterized by the above.

9. In a connection portion of the insulating coating with the terminal, a coating thickness of the insulating coating decreases on the rear end side compared to the front end side of the wire. The wire with a terminal according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by the above.

10. At least one wire with a terminal according to any one of claims 7 to 9, or the wire with a terminal is configured by being combined with at least one other wire A wire harness characterized by this.

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